Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Search and Rescue System

ABSTRACT

A search and rescue drone system includes a buoyant body member, a frame attached to the buoyant body member for carrying a motor and propeller, and an electronic array including a camera, GPS, an EPIRB radio distress beacon, and a transmitter/receiver for remote control flying the drone and communicating with an operator. The search and rescue drone may be flown manually, or may have some autonomous flight and locator capabilities. For example, in one embodiment, the search and rescue drone may be programmed to simply fly to the location of an electronic wearable device, like a bracelet, that is worn by a man overboard. In another embodiment, the search and rescue drone includes a basket, harness, or other means for actually recovering a swimmer in distress, and flying that person back to safety on a ship or on shore.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Unmanned aerial vehicles (hereinafter “UAVs” or “drones”) are becomingubiquitous, and are increasingly being deployed for many different usesand tasks. Recently, UAVs have been used by lifeguards at beaches tomonitor swimmers, and in one case, a UAV was equipped with a mechanismfor dropping a life preserver to save a swimmer in distress. Along thoselines, UAVs may be particularly helpful in man-overboard situations,along with other swimmer-in-distress events. There are many reportedcases of people disappearing from cruise ships, and in such an event, aUAV is highly useful for conducting search and rescue operations becauseit can be quickly and easily deployed directly from the ship, provides abird's eye view over a large area, and can quickly cover large distancesin a short period of time. A search and rescue drone could be used oncommercial fishing vessels and other types of boats and ships,particularly including those that routinely operate in bad weatherconditions. In a man overboard situation, time is critical, especiallyin colder waters, where life expectancy may be around 15 minutes beforehypothermia and even death occurs. Thus, the ability to deploy a searchand rescue drone to quickly locate and provide assistance to a swimmerin distress could mean the difference between life and death.

Efforts are underway to develop UAVs specifically for search and rescueoperations, particularly involving water rescue operations. Thefollowing references show several examples of such development effortsfor UAVs, and these references are incorporated herein by reference, intheir entireties:

US Application Publication No. US20150066248—Unmanned Vehicle Searches

A method of planning a flight path for a search can include receiving,by a control system, an indication of a search area boundary; receiving,by the control system, an indication of a selected search pattern;determining, by the control system, a flight path based on the searcharea boundary and the selected search pattern; and transmitting one ormore indications of the flight path to an unmanned aerial vehicle.

US Application Publication No. US20160340006—Unmanned Aerial VehicleSystem and Methods for Use

A drone equipped with a camera, a wireless communication module, anacoustic sensor, a GPS receiver, software and collapsible floatationdevice patrols above swimmers. The camera and acoustic sensor capturethe video and audio of the swimmers. The information is either streamedto a command center or processed by the onboard software. With audio andvideo analysis capabilities, software is used to detect a swimmer indistress (SID). Alternatively the information is streamed to lifeguardor volunteers all over the world to spot SID.

Another detection method is to let a swimmer wear a wearable emergencynotification device, which sends wireless signals comprising GPSlocation data. A SID presses a button to indicate rescue request and thedrones fly over by GPS signal guidance. Solar power is used as theoptional power source of the drones, which would allow the to sustainoperation for a prolonged period of time. Once a SID is identified, thedrone or drones fly over the SID and drops the collapsible floatationdevice.

US Application Publication No. US20170088261—Search and Rescue UAVSystem and Method

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) having at least one sensor fordetecting the presence of a survivor in a search and rescue area. The atleast one sensor is preferably an ultra-wide band (UWB) transceiversensor. The UAV includes a UAV data link transceiver for wirelesslycommunicating information concerning the survivor to a command center.

US Application Publication No. US20170210451—Drone-Type LifesavingEquipment Dropping Device

A drone-type lifesaving equipment dropping device including: an unmannedaerial vehicle (2) having a propeller (4) and a rotor (3) configured torotate the propeller; a holding member (10) which is installed to theunmanned aerial vehicle (2) and configured to be operated by wirelesscontrol; and a lifesaving equipment which is detachably engaged to theholding member (10) and is dropped from the holding member (10) afterthe lifesaving equipment is disengaged from the holding member.

Although each of the above-referenced systems is useful for search andrescue operations, and several of these systems may be used to deliver aflotation device or life preserver, none of the prior referencesdiscloses a UAV that is buoyant so that the UAV is, itself, a flotationdevice to assist a swimmer in distress (SID). Therefore, it would bedesirable to provide a UAV that serves as a mobile life preserver, whichis capable of landing on water and taking off from water, and whichincludes electronics for determining its position and transmitting anSOS signal, similarly to an emergency position-indicating radio beacon(EPIRB). Further, it would be advantageous, in man overboard types ofsituations, to provide the search and rescue drone with flashing lights,a spotlight, a camera and other sensors for locating a swimmer indistress, along with the capability for the UAV to autonomously flyalong the same path (in reverse) that the boat was traveling when theman overboard situation occurred. Additionally, it would be advantageousto provide an electronic wearable device having the capability tocommunicate with the search and rescue drone, so that the drone mayautonomously track the wearable device and fly to its location in anemergency situation.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, one embodiment of asearch and rescue drone includes a buoyant body member, a frame attachedto the buoyant body member for carrying a motor and propeller, and anelectronic array including a camera, GPS, an EPIRB, and atransmitter/receiver for manually flying the drone and communicatingwith an operator.

The search and rescue drone may be flown manually, or may have someautonomous flight and locator capabilities. For example, in oneembodiment, the search and rescue drone may be programmed to simply flyto the location of an electronic wearable device, like a bracelet, thatis worn by a person on a boat. The wearable device may be automaticallyactivated upon immersion in water, or may be manually activated (bypressing a button on the device, or by giving voice commands, forinstance), but in either circumstance, the activation of the wearabledevice triggers the search and rescue drone to automatically fly to thelocation of the wearable device and land nearby, so that the SID mayhold onto it for purposes of flotation. Preferably, the search andrescue drone is equipped with flashing strobe lights or other emergencylights that are used as a visual signal for help to get the attention ofa search and rescue party. Also, the EPIRB on board transmits a distresssignal, along with GPS coordinates of its present location, when thesearch and rescue drone lands in the water.

In another embodiment, the search and rescue drone includes a basket,harness, or other means for actually recovering a swimmer in distress,and flying that person back to a ship or to shore. In this embodiment,the drone may either land in the water so that a swimmer in distress mayclimb aboard, or the drone may lower a basket or harness down to theswimmer while the drone hovers overhead. In either embodiment, the dronemay be equipped with a button or other means for indicating that theswimmer is safely aboard the basket or is engaged within the harness,which then triggers the drone to fly the swimmer back to safety.

When used on board a boat or ship, the search and rescue drone may beprogrammed to execute a specific search pattern, which may includeflying to a designated altitude and following the same path, in reverse,that the boat was traveling when the man-overboard event occurred. Theonboard GPS unit may either do its own tracking while the boat isunderway, so that it is always tracking its own position and has thatinformation available when deployed in an emergency, or the system mayinclude a communications link with the GPS system on board the ship sothat the search and rescue drone may query the shipboard GPS to obtainthat information.

In another embodiment, the search and rescue drone may include two mainparts: the flying portion and the floating portion. The flying portionpreferably includes a frame, the motor and propeller, camera(s),flashing lights, a spotlight (optionally) and a transmitter/receiver forsending and receiving communications. The floating portion is used as alife preserver, and preferably includes an EPIRB to transmit an SOSmessage, along with GPS coordinates. In this embodiment, the drone mayland on the water as a single unit, and then separate so that the flyingportion can hover overhead while displaying the flashing lights,spotlight (if necessary), and acting as a communications booster byrelaying and broadcasting the EPIRB signal to potential rescuers.

Alternatively, after locating the swimmer in distress, the drone mayseparate in the air by disconnecting itself from the floating portion,so that the floating portion drops to the water near the swimmer. It ispreferred that the EPIRB remain with the floating portion (and theswimmer) rather than the flying portion, because if the flying portionthen crashes, runs out of fuel or electricity, or otherwise becomesseparated from the swimmer, the EPIRB continues to broadcast the SOSsignal from the swimmer's location.

Other embodiments include simpler versions, where the rescue drone issimply a flying life preserver, wherein the main body member is buoyant,and motors and propellers are positioned within holes defined by themain body member. These types of rescue drones are typically used bybeach lifeguards, and the like, and operate via remote control. If alifeguard sees a swimmer in distress, then he or she can simply launchthe flying life preserver and land it adjacent the swimmer in distressfor flotation until help arrives.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with regard to the followingdescription, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a lifesaving unmannedaerial vehicle, having a generally rectangular body member that isbuoyant, a series of handle members disposed about the body member forgrasping and carrying, and a plurality of motors and propellers disposedwithin holes defined by the body member;

FIG. 2A is a side view of another embodiment of a lifesaving unmannedaerial vehicle, including a floating portion, a frame, a series ofmotors and propellers, an EPIRB, a camera, downwardly pointing floodlights and a pair of strobe lights, and further including a dockingstation that also serves to recharge the on-board batteries;

FIG. 2B is a side view of the embodiment of a lifesaving unmanned aerialvehicle as shown in FIG. 2A, wherein the vehicle is shown in a dockedposition with the docking station for storage, transport, andrecharging;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a lifesavingunmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the body member is formed into theshape of a ring, and the motors and propellers are disposed within holesdefined by the body member;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a lifesavingunmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes a winch attachedon an underside thereof, with a cable extending downwardly to a harnessthat is attached to a basket for transporting a person from the water tosafety;

FIG. 5 is a side view of an alternate embodiment of a lifesavingunmanned aerial vehicle, showing a removable remote control carried bythe main body member, and further illustrating the buoyant main bodymember separated from the frame of the drone, so that a swimmer indistress may use the main body member for flotation while flying therescue drone via the remote control; and

FIG. 6 is a side view of an alternate embodiment of a lifesavingunmanned aerial vehicle having a net disposed within the buoyant mainbody member for carrying a person, and showing a wearable device that isin communication with the rescue drone for purposes of locating aswimmer in distress.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Overview

The present invention, in a first embodiment, includes a lifesavingunmanned aerial vehicle 10 comprising a main body member 12 that isbuoyant, and defines a series of vertically oriented holes 14 therein,as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. Motors 16 and propellers 18 are disposedwithin the holes 14 of the main body member 12, which allows the mainbody member 12 to fly. These embodiments may simply be flown to thelocation of a swimmer in distress (SID), and may land on the water toserve as a life preserver until the SID can be rescued by a boat,helicopter, or by other means of rescue. Handles 20 may be disposedabout the rescue drone 10, as shown in FIG. 1, for purposes of holdingonto the drone 10 in the water, and for carrying the drone 10 by hand.

Another embodiment of the present invention is a rescue drone 10 thatpreferably includes a floating portion 12 (or “main body member”), aframe 42 connected to the floating portion 12, wherein the frame 42includes outwardly extending arms, each carrying a motor 16 andpropeller 18, and further including a camera 22, a transmitter/receiverfor receiving flight instructions and transmitting information back toan operator, lights 24 for assistance with rescue operations, and anEPIRB radio beacon 26 for transmitting an SOS call for help along withlocation coordinates, as shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B, 5 and 6. Additionally,the rescue drone 10 may further include an onboard computing device forcontrolling the above-referenced components, either via remote control60 or autonomously based on installed programming. In this embodiment,the floating portion 12 is preferably positioned on a bottom portion ofthe drone 10, and may serve as a flotation device for a swimmer indistress (SID). The lights 24 may include flashing strobe lights ofdifferent colors, for attracting the attention of rescuers who aresearching for the SID and the drone itself. Additionally, the drone maybe equipped with spotlights 24 used during search and rescue operationsto illuminate the area that is being searched, or which may be used toilluminate the SID for various purposes.

In use, the rescue drone 10 is launched when it has been determined thatthere is a SID in the area, and the drone 10 may be operated manually byan operator using a remote control device 60 to fly and navigate, or therescue drone 10 may be used in autonomous mode, so that it is capable offlying itself in a specific search pattern. For manual flight, therescue drone 10 operates like currently available drones, which may beflown by simple visual operation (watching the drone itself directly),or by viewing the feed from the camera 22 positioned on the drone (as ifthe drone operator were in a virtual ‘cockpit’ of an aircraft). In thelatter case, the operator may use a video screen, goggles, or any othersuitable video screen type of component.

For autonomous flight, the rescue drone 10 may be programmed to fly andnavigate in many different ways. First, the drone 10 may simply beprogrammed to execute a standard search pattern. Alternatively, if usedon a boat or ship, the rescue drone may follow the GPS “breadcrumbtrail,” which is essentially the path that the boat or ship has taken upto that point in time, but in the reverse direction, which isparticularly useful in man-overboard situations. In this way, the droneitself may be programmed to track the movement of the ship in order toestablish the breadcrumb trail, or that information may be transmittedfrom another GPS device onboard the boat or otherwise. Another option,if multiple drones 10 are used, is to program them to work in concertwith one another, so that each drone is programmed to cover a particulararea or direction, and so that the drones 10 are not searching the samearea as another drone 10, in order to optimize the amount of areacovered as quickly as possible during a search and rescue operation.

It is also contemplated that the rescue drone 10 may include infra-redor thermal sensors (which may be part of the camera 22, or may beseparate from the camera 22), in order to identify people in the waterthrough their heat signatures. Obviously, a live person in the waterwill have a higher temperature than the surrounding water, so infra-redor thermal sensors or cameras may be used to help identify SIDs. Anotheroption is to provide the rescue drone 10 with software that recognizespatterns, and also recognizes disruptions in patterns, such the patternsof waves in the water, which are disrupted by a SID. Any of thesemethods may be used to autonomously identify a SID, which may generatean alert to a human operator, who may then either confirm that therescue drone 10 has found the SID, or may confirm that the objectidentified is not a SID, or may take over control of the drone 10 inorder to investigate further. Alternatively, the drone 10 may simply beprogrammed to land near the SID without human intervention, ifnecessary.

It is also contemplated that the rescue drone 10 may receive a signal,including location information, from a device worn or carried by aperson. Such a device could take many forms, including a cell phone, asmart watch (Apple Watch, for instance), a bracelet or necklace, or anyother device that includes either an RFID chip or necessary electronicsand transmitter for sending a signal to the rescue drone 10. For thesepurposes, the transmitter device will be referred to as a transmitterbracelet 50, as shown in FIG. 6, and it should be understood that atransmitter bracelet, for these purposes, encompasses any wearabledevice that transmits a signal or communicates in any way with therescue drone to provide a rescue location or coordinates. Thetransmitter bracelet 50 may be worn by deckhands on a fishing boat, crewand/or passengers on a cruise ship, or others onboard a boat, and may beactivated either automatically in a man-overboard situation, or may beactivated manually. Activation of the transmitter bracelet 50 preferablyalerts the boat captain and crew of the man-overboard situation, andcauses the rescue drone 10 to automatically deploy and follow thetransmitter bracelet 50 signal to the location of the SID.Alternatively, the rescue drone 10 may be launched manually in such asituation.

In one embodiment, the rescue drone 10 mates with a docking basecharging station 28 when not in use, or when in ‘standby mode,’ as shownin FIGS. 2A and 2B. The charging station 28 is preferably connected to apower source, and serves as a charger for the rescue drone 10, so thatthe rescue drone 10 stays charged and ready to be deployed at all times.In one embodiment, the charging station 28 may be in the shape of a cone(as shown), so that the rescue drone 10 may automatically fly back andland on the charging station 28 without human intervention, althoughother shapes may be used. The cone shape allows the rescue drone 10 todescend down on top of the charging station 28 so that the roundfloating portion 12 may be guided by the shape of the cone until thecharging surfaces 30 are connected between the drone 10 and the chargingstation 28. This arrangement also allows the drone 10 to be deployeddirectly from the charging station 28 in an emergency, so that the drone10 simply launches upwardly until it clears the top of the chargingstation 28 and then begins its search or navigation mission.

In use, the rescue drone 10 either searches for a SID, or flies directlyto the location of the transmitter bracelet 50. Upon arrival at thelocation of the SID, the rescue drone 10 may land close to the SID, sothat the SID may use the rescue drone 10 as a flotation device.Additionally, the rescue drone 10 may activate its lights 24 in order toassist rescuers in finding the SID, and may further activate the EPIRB26, which sends a distress signal out on an emergency frequency, alongwith location information. These actions may be automated, or may betaken manually by a human operator.

In another embodiment, the rescue drone 10 includes a basket 32,harness, or other means for actually recovering a swimmer in distress,and flying that person back to a ship or to shore, as shown in FIG. 4.In this embodiment, the drone 10 may either land in the water so that aswimmer in distress may climb aboard, or the drone 10 may lower a basket32 or harness down to the swimmer while the drone 10 hovers overhead. Ineither embodiment, the drone 10 may be equipped with a button 36 orother means for indicating that the swimmer is safely aboard the basket32 or is engaged within the harness, which then triggers the drone 10 tofly the swimmer back to safety. Alternatively, this operation may becarried out manually by a human operator using a remote control device60, which may be a dedicated device, a smart phone, a computer, atablet, or any other suitable remote control device 60. In thisembodiment, the basket 32 or harness may be attached to a cable 38 andwinch 40 system, similarly to those deployed on rescue helicopters usedby the Coast Guard and the military.

For autonomous operation of any embodiment disclosed herein, the rescuedrone 10 may include an on-board computing device to execute programmedoperations, including navigation and flight, identification of objectsin the water, sending and receiving information, landing, activatinglights 24 and the EPIRB 26, and returning to the boat, charging station28, or other place of origin. The rescue drone 10 may also record camerafootage and/or sensor readings from a full mission, and may transmitthat data in real time, or may simply record it for access and downloadlater. In one embodiment, the rescue drone 10 may also carry a remotecontrol (tablet style computing device), or an array including amicrophone, speaker, and/or video screen for audio and/or videocommunications between a human operator (rescuer) and the SID. Forinstance, the rescue drone 10 may employ a small screen, similar to thescreen of a smart phone, allowing a SID to communicate with the droneoperator or rescuer (similarly to Apple's popular FaceTime application),which is useful for allowing the rescuer to ascertain the medicalcondition of the SID. This arrangement allows the rescuer to be preparedwith appropriate medical supplies to deal with the specific issues andailments that the SID is suffering from. Additionally, in the case of aboat accident or other incident where there may be wreckage, fire, oilfloating in the water, or other dangers, the SID can communicate thatinformation through the audio/video transmission components on therescue drone.

Additionally, it is contemplated that the onboard computing device 70,which may be roughly the size and shape of a smart phone or tablet, mayserve as a remote control and be detachable from the drone, so that aSID may use the onboard computing device 70 to operate the rescue dronein the case of a prolonged rescue situation, as shown in FIG. 5. Forexample, if the SID is out of communication range with rescuers for anyreason, he or she may detach the onboard computer 70 to launch the drone10 from the water. The rescue drone 10 may possibly increase itstransmission range by ascending to a higher altitude. Additionally, theSID may also be able to view the camera feed from the drone 10 via theonboard computing device/remote control, and if he sees a watercraft inthe distance, may send the drone 10 in that direction to establishcommunication and request assistance. Or, if the SID is in the water atnight, he may wish to simply launch the rescue drone 10 and activate thelights 24 while maintaining physical contact with the floating portion12, allowing the drone 10 to hover overhead, in order to direct therescuers to his position in darkness, similarly to launching a flare. Ina preferred embodiment, the onboard computer/remote control 70 fits intoa cradle that is positioned on the rescue drone, and the cradle isoperationally connected to an onboard battery. In this way, the onboardcomputer 70 may recharge itself when it is positioned within the cradle.

The rescue drone 10 may also include solar panels positioned on an upperside thereof, which may be used to charge or recharge the rescue dronebattery or batteries. It should be understood that, although differentembodiments have been described herein, any of the components andfeatures described in a particular embodiment may be used on or inconnection with any other embodiment described herein.

In yet another embodiment of the rescue drone 10, the floating portion12 (which is used as a flotation device for a SID) may be detachable(either remotely, or manually) from the frame 42 of the rescue drone 10,so that the rescue drone 10 may either land on water and subsequentlyseparate, if necessary, or so that the floating portion 12 may bedetached during flight and dropped to a SID. In this embodiment, asshown in FIG. 5, it is contemplated that the EPIRB 26 is attached to thefloating portion 12, in order to direct rescuers to the SID in ascenario where the rescue drone 10 becomes separated from the floatingportion 12 and the SID. Further, in this embodiment, the onboardcomputer/remote control 70 may also be attached to the floating portion12, so that the SID is able to operate the rescue drone 10 from thewater, if necessary. One advantage to this arrangement is that the SIDhas a flotation device while the drone 10 is at a higher altitude andserving as a communications relay between rescuers and the SID. In somesituations, the SID may be in the water with the floating portion 12,and the drone 10 may be hovering overhead with lights 24 flashing,transmitting an emergency distress signal, and shining a spotlight 24down on the SID.

Yet another embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 6,wherein the floating portion 12 includes a net 80 or other supportsurface for supporting and carrying a rescued swimmer in distress. Inthis embodiment, the swimmer in distress simply climbs aboard the rescuedrone and sits on the net 80, and the rescue drone may fly the rescuedswimmer to the boat, to shore, or to some other designated safety area.

Any of the above-referenced embodiments may include other features, aswell, including a waterproof or water-resistant hatch 44 on the floatingportion that opens to reveal a storage compartment 46 that may be usedto store rescue supplies, such as water, food, reflective gear,flashlights, an inflatable raft, a survival suit, or any other suppliesthat may be helpful to a swimmer in distress. Additionally, it should beunderstood that the motors described herein may be powered byelectricity, gasoline, diesel, hydrogen, natural gas, propane, or anyother suitable method.

Although the present invention has been described in considerable detailwith reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions arepossible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims shouldnot be limited to the description of the preferred versions containedherein. All features disclosed in this specification may be replaced byalternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose,unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly statedotherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a genericseries of equivalent or similar features.

What is claimed is:
 1. A lifesaving unmanned aerial vehicle systemcomprising: a main body member that is buoyant, wherein said main bodymember defines a series of vertically oriented holes; wherein a motorand propeller are disposed within each hole; a receiver disposed withinsaid main body member, said receiver being operationally connected tosaid motors; and a remote control device that is wirelessly andoperationally connected to said receiver, so that a user may fly theunmanned aerial vehicle by using said remote control device.
 2. Thelifesaving unmanned aerial vehicle system set forth in claim 1, furtherincluding at least one light attached to said main body member.
 3. Thelifesaving unmanned aerial vehicle system set forth in claim 1, furtherincluding a storage compartment disposed within said main body memberfor transporting survival supplies to a swimmer in distress.
 4. Thelifesaving unmanned aerial vehicle system set forth in claim 1, whereinsaid main body member further includes an EPIRB radio beacon.
 5. Alifesaving unmanned aerial vehicle system comprising: a main body memberthat is buoyant; a frame member extending upwardly from said main bodymember, said frame member further including a series of arms extendingoutwardly so that a motor and propeller are disposed at a distal end ofeach arm; said frame member carrying a camera, a transmitter andreceiver, a battery, spotlights oriented in a downward direction, and anonboard computing device; and a remote control device that wirelesslycommunicates with said transmitter and receiver for flying said unmannedaerial vehicle system, and further, for controlling said lights, saidcamera, and for receiving video images from said camera.
 6. Thelifesaving unmanned aerial vehicle system set forth in claim 5, furtherincluding an EPIRB radio beacon attached to said unmanned aerial vehiclefor transmitting a distress signal along with location coordinates ofsaid unmanned aerial vehicle.
 7. The lifesaving unmanned aerial vehiclesystem set forth in claim 5, further including a storage compartmentdisposed within said main body member for transporting survival suppliesto a swimmer in distress.
 8. The lifesaving unmanned aerial vehiclesystem set forth in claim 5, wherein said frame member is detachablefrom said main body member.
 9. The lifesaving unmanned aerial vehiclesystem set forth in claim 8, further including a remote control deviceattached to said main body member for controlling said unmanned aerialvehicle when said main body member is detached from said frame member.10. The lifesaving unmanned aerial vehicle system set forth in claim 5,further including a wearable transmitter bracelet, wherein saidtransmitter bracelet communicates wirelessly with said onboard computingdevice, and wherein said onboard computer is programmed to fly saidlifesaving unmanned aerial vehicle to the location of said transmitterbracelet and land on water in that location.
 11. The lifesaving unmannedaerial vehicle system set forth in claim 5, further including a winchattached to said frame member, wherein said winch is attached to a cableat a first end of said cable and a harness at a second end of saidcable, wherein a rescue basket is attached to said harness, and whereinsaid winch is operable via said remote control.
 12. The lifesavingunmanned aerial vehicle system set forth in claim 11, wherein saidrescue basket includes a button that is used to communicate to theonboard computing device that a swimmer in distress is aboard saidrescue basket, and wherein said onboard computing device is programmedto fly to a designated safety area with said swimmer positioned in saidrescue basket after a swimmer in distress presses said button.
 13. Thelifesaving unmanned aerial vehicle system set forth in claim 5, whereinsaid camera includes thermal sensors for determining temperaturedifferences between a human body and surrounding water.
 14. Thelifesaving unmanned aerial vehicle system set forth in claim 5, whereinsaid computing device is programmed to navigate said unmanned aerialvehicle by following a pre-determined search pattern.
 15. The lifesavingunmanned aerial vehicle system set forth in claim 5, further including asupport surface carried by said main body member, so that a swimmer indistress may climb aboard said vehicle, and wherein said swimmer issupported by said support surface.
 16. The lifesaving unmanned aerialvehicle system set forth in claim 5, further including a docking basecharging station, wherein said unmanned aerial vehicle may land on saidbase and launch from said base, and wherein said docking base includesan electric charging apparatus that is used to charge said batteries onsaid unmanned aerial vehicle when in position on said docking base. 17.A lifesaving unmanned aerial vehicle system comprising: a frame memberhaving a plurality of outwardly extending arms; a motor and propellermounted at a distal end of each arm; a winch mounted on an underside ofsaid frame, said winch including a cable attached thereto, wherein saidcable may be extended from and retracted toward said winch; and a remotecontrol wirelessly connected to said unmanned aerial vehicle for flyingsaid vehicle and operating said winch.
 18. The lifesaving unmannedaerial vehicle system set forth in claim 17, further including a rescueattachment that is connected to a distal end of said cable, wherein saidrescue attachment is selected from the group consisting of a rescuebasket and a rescue harness.
 19. The lifesaving unmanned aerial vehiclesystem set forth in claim 18, wherein said rescue attachment includesmeans for indicating that a swimmer in distress has successfully engagedwith said rescue attachment, which causes said unmanned aerial vehicleto fly to a designated safety area.
 20. The lifesaving unmanned aerialvehicle system set forth in claim 18, wherein said unmanned aerialvehicle further includes a component selected from the group consistingof a floating body member, a light, an EPIRB radio beacon, a camera, anonboard computing device, and a docking station.